Your Congressional representatives may not pay their interns. That's about to change

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Hannah Gaber Saletan, USA TODAY

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Interning for a legislator has long been considered one of the most valuable ways to gain experience in the nation's capital — as long as the intern can afford it.

For Will Vickers, unpaid internships with then-Rep. John Carney at his Georgetown office in 2013 and in his Washington, D.C. office in 2014 were great opportunities. They granted him a chance to do real congressional work while still in college.

He didn't get paid for either position, however.

To afford his summer in D.C., the ninth-most expensive city in the country, Vickers worked in restaurants in his time away from the office.

"You leave your internship for the day and go home and change," Vickers said. "You go to work at 6 or 7, if you can find a place that's that flexible. It's a lot of late nights and early mornings."

If he had been paid for the job, his summer in D.C. wouldn't have been easy, but it wouldn't have been quite so difficult.

For most congressional interns, particularly ones who travel long distances to live in D.C. for a summer, balancing multiple jobs as well as familial and academic responsibilities can be difficult to handle.

Activists say that tough balance increases the chance that only people from families that are already well-off can take that kind of unpaid position, creating a wealth and experience gap in politics.

Congress allocated about $14 million between the two chambers to pay interns in September as part of a larger spending bill. Until offices budget that money, however, interns still are in limbo.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a Democrat set to represent New York's 14th district when the new session begins, made headlines when she vowed to pay her interns at least $15 an hour, above D.C.'s minimum hourly wage of $13.25 and more than double the federal minimum hourly wage of $7.25. Most members of Congress representing Delmarva declined to give an exact amount they would pay their interns moving forward.

A survey of the congressional delegations from Delaware, Maryland and Virginia demonstrates that before now, some offices didn't pay their interns at all, and ones that do often don't pay a full living wage. Sometimes students receive college credit for their positions or other small stipends.

In Delaware, senators Chris Coons and Tom Carper, both Democrats, pay their interns at least in the summer. A spokesperson for the office of Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester, also a Democrat, said interns would get paid soon, but an amount was unknown.

Virginia Sen. Mark Warner "is proud to offer paid internships to a limited number of applicants with demonstrated financial need," according to his website.

A spokesperson did not provide information on any changes that would be made following the new bill. Sen. Tim Kaine's office offers a "modest salary," according to a spokesperson, paying "the equivalent of a $10,000 per year salary."

Rep. Scott Taylor, a Republican representing Virginia's second congressional district, could not be reached for comment. He will be replaced by Democrat Elaine Luria when the new Congressional class is sworn in in January.

U.S. Rep. Andy Harris, a Republican representing Maryland's first district, did not say specifically whether his interns get paid, but described congressional internships in an email as "historically been unpaid, part-time positions, frequently associated with college course credit or to gain valuable pre-employment Capitol Hill experience."

Sen. Ben Cardin's office said many potential interns "can readily access Capitol Hill without the expense of moving and/or living across the country," but that the Democrat's office had worked with interns on a case-by-case basis to work out requirements for college credit or "as needed."

Out of the members of Congress representing Delmarva, Sen. Chris Van Hollen has taken perhaps the biggest steps to ensure his interns get paid. He has paid his interns for several years and made the issue a legislative priority, according to his office. He was instrumental in the language that helped pass the issue through both the Senate and the House of Representatives. Activist group Pay Our Interns heralds Van Hollen, a Democrat, as a "champion senator."

Pay Our Interns co-founder Guillermo Creamer said that his group doesn't advocate for a specific hourly wage for interns but rather the idea that they should be paid for the work that they do.

"Paying interns is about understanding a person's worth and not setting another obstacle," Creamer said. "Historically, those who can afford to take an internship like that have gained while those who can't suffer. I think this will make it a lot more level."